Who moved the floor?

Good morning all,

Today was re-program day, but after my run yesterday I seem to have managed to make my back very sore, so last night I had a bath and relaxed a little trying to make the pain subside ready for this morning, I don’t think my office chair helps either, but hey what you gonna do?

So 5:30 this morning I rolled out of bed my back was so sore that it kept tensing and making itself 100 times worse, I was trying to get my gym kit on as I was determined that I was going to go, at one point I had to stop, stay still and mentally think relax the back, relax the back.

Once I got downstairs I had my usual Chorus of “Feed ne mow” from the three mog rats, sadly though someone had snuck into the kitchen last night and moved the floor further away from me, the cat bowls were a VERY long way down, but I got them filled them and managed to find a floor to put them back on, all the time giggling, I am not sure if this is something that just I do but when I have any kind of severe muscle pain it seems to make me laugh, maybe I am just laughing at how hard it is to do the simplest of tasks? But anyway, Who moved the floor?

Things started to ease up so I headed off to the gym for my re-program, I figured it would be an easy morning as most PT’s don’t really push you on your program they just show you how it’s done… How wrong can a man be?

We started off with a chat and I told him how things had been, I also warned him I had a sore back but that I was willing to keep it moving and work through some of the pain, so long as it wasn’t terrible… Well what a session, as my back warmed up the pain subsided almost totally, but he pushed me hard, I had a full workout did full sets of most everything, it was brilliant… and I only felt a twinge from time to time, but he was working me hard, twisting lunges with medicine ball on the Power Plates (These are things that vibrate and make the exercise more intense) and some other lunges on the power place without the ball, then we have a chest crunch thing (I can’t remember it’s actual name) followed by leg press, followed by a single arm row with a free weight on a bench, then onto the assisted chin-ups, followed by 3 sets of the following three moves Mountain Climb, Swedish ball things, exercise ball things… so quite a workout, and I have the next step of my new goal, as I have achieved 10K in under an hour, before I next reprogram I have to be hitting 10K in 50 minutes, not only that but I have to increase my average speed and do the odd 30 second to 1 minute sprints… I am going to die!

Okay so that’s a slight over exaggeration, I am not going to die, and I was actually really happy with everything we went through, but I did think while I was in the shower (finding like those cat bowls my feet were a long way away) if you had of asked me to do all this just a couple of months ago I would have laughed in your face and had another chocolate bar, but now…

So here’s to the new program and the hope that I can fulfil all my goals this time around too!

What’s all this about then? Well I am a fat bloater, who likes food, so simplistically I need to burn off plop loads of energy, but on a slightly more serious note I am and was severely as a child as asthma sufferer, I am now un-medicated and since I have been working out at the gym on and off for the last few years of my life I have only ever needed medication once when I had a very bad flu, but when I was a child I had allot of support from Asthma UK who used to send out child friendly information packs about asthma and how to cope with it, as a child with asthma life can be hard, you don’t like doing sport because you just can’t… and the steroids make you eat like a horse… until you are the size of one.

It’s up to us to make a difference; we need to support Asthma UK so that they can help others deal with asthma… To find out more about what they do pop along to http://www.asthma.org.uk and once you have decided you are going to sponsor me pop along to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnClitherow or if you prefer giz a shout and I can come see you with an old fashioned piece of paper type sponsorship form.

Run strong, even if it’s just for the ice cream van,
Jay (Red John).

Easy come, easy go?...

I woke up with a twinge in my back STILL this morning but I was determined to get to the gym and try to run something, or at least I was after I had turned over and fallen asleep for another 15 minutes… Oops!
Still I was up with the lark, well actually I have no idea if they were larks but they were making a racket singing at the rising sun and the cats were lined up in the kitchen (Yes all three without any arguments or hissing) waiting for their breakfast, this was where the first school boy error came, Bobble will not continue eating once disturbed, I put her food down, she tucked in, I realised the pan I wanted for breakfast was in the cupboard in front of her… Pants, so I made the coffee first instead :)

While I was stirring I started to worry, would all the hard work I have put in be gone? Is it easy come, easy go? Or rather with me, Painful and hard work to come, easy go? They say you lose it faster than you can gain it… I was worried!

Breakfast done, I headed to the gym… arriving just about 7… I went straight for a treadmill and started to walk while I was putting on my headphones increasing the speed about 1KPH every minute or so, just to get me warm.

So… Easy? Well not exactly easy but I was making real good headway keeping up the pace pushing through and my back seemed to ease the more I pushed on running, the warmer it got… 15 minutes in and I hadn’t even really started sweating, don’t get me wrong I was warm and working hard but my body was coping well, But then it seemed to hit me, and I had to have a break, I didn’t walk but I slowed the pace still running and still following the beat, I found today that I also struggled to keep my speed under control, my feet just kept wanting to speed up and I was having to consciously slow myself down, I got to 30 minutes in and I was on about 4K, a little behind where I wanted to be but okay, I upped the speed and covered the screen with my towel, the trainer on my track said this next section was 10 minutes at 165 beats per minute, so I knew I didn’t want to stop or slow for at least the next 10 minutes and I needed to stick with the beat, not being able to see the screen always seems to help focus me.

The 10 minutes passed in what seemed like a flash and I checked out the screen, 6K so far I was soo chuffed and with a bad back, I pushed on and managed another 1.5K a total of 7.5K… impressive for someone with a bad back and allot of body fat, what made me feel even better was the fact I felt like I could have carried on, and completed my 10K but sadly time was ticking and I just didn’t have that extra 10 minutes to push but I felt like I could so in my mind that’s a bonus!

Just to recap (I am rather pleased seeing how my health has been) 7.5K today, so seems I haven’t lost ANY of my fitness levels.

I cooled off and did a few stretches, my back was feeling okay if a little stiff, but my feet were hurting more to be honest, having said this as I now sit at my desk and my back is hurting rather allot, but I am keeping it moving and I have my fluffy jacket on just to keep my back warm, I think it’ll be okay, what doesn’t kill it will make it stronger :)

Tomorrow is re-program, so I do hope that my back is okay for that, I will be with trainer at 6:30 tomorrow to run through a new schedule and see how he feels I have been getting on with the current one, am looking forward to the change!

Why am I doing all this? Well frankly it’s because I want to be an underwear model, and wear speedos in the pool, Stop laughing I am serious!!!

Aside from wanting to look like a Greek God, and walk around in nothing but pants all day I am also (well my main reason really) doing this to earn money for Asthma UK by running the Virgin London Marathon, Asthma UK work tirelessly to help people who have to live with asthma and even more importantly to save lives… I suffered with asthma seriously as a child and I can tell you it isn’t pleasant.

To find out more about Asthma UK visit http://www.asthma.org.uk and once you have taken a look pop along to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnClitherow and sponsor me to run the Virgin London Marathon, why not sponsor me £1 per mile?

Live Long, and prosper,
Jay (Red John).

The panic is really setting in…

All weekend I have had a bad back, and I have been walking around yelping just trying to attempt the simplest of tasks, it seems to be gently easing but the panic is really setting in…

I have been at this training for a couple of months now, and while the first month got off to an amazing start, and everything was going really well, this last month I seem to have been struck down with everything going, a self-inflicted weekend that took longer than anticipated to recover from (although I did manage to get to the gym at least) followed by a bout of never ending Man Flu, to clear up and have an amazing spin session Friday only to develop a bad back, I have been taking Ibuprofen like it’s going out of fashion.

Still yesterday morning I managed a short swim and a soak in the Jacuzzi, followed by a steam, seems to have helped my back a little but as I sat at work I could feel the odd twinge, And this morning I had a spin session booked, I was a little late to bed so did struggle out of it this morning… Downed a bowl of porridge and a mug’a’coffee and headed for the gym, I was determined that even though my back was still a little tender I was going to give it a go and just be gentle.

Well actually I have to say I did very well, I kept up mostly in a room that felt like there was no air, and I only had to slow and nurse my back once or twice, today was a good day :)

I have a re-program booked for Thursday morning, so back permitting I am intending to get up tomorrow morning and TRY to run a 10K, having not done it for about 3 weeks I am not expecting it to be easy but I need to give it ago, I need to know that I can still achieve it before I go for my re-program.

This week, my diet will mainly consist of soup… I have another HUGE cauldron of homemade Chicken and Vegetable soup so that should keep me going and apparently, soup is one of the keys to loosing weight!

So then why am I running the London Marathon… Well did you know that 69% of GPs agree that asthma knowledge could be improved among GPs, this could save lives… Asthma UK are working not only to educate people living with asthma but also GP’s so that they can better understand and treat asthma sufferers, BUT… they can’t do it without our support!!

Pop along to their website http://www.asthma.org.uk and once you are ready jump over to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnClitherow and sponsor me to run the London Marathon in aid of Asthma UK… Why not sponsor me £1 a mile?

Laters,
Jay (Red John).

More, more, more...

Today was spin, and what a spin session, taking the class today was Sue, and Sue is VERY motivational, and I was actually feeling quite good today, until that is I had finished the session!!

About half way through when the going was getting tough and people were starting to tire out, the intense interval hill track came on, it was Rebel Yell – More, more, more… every time the lyrics more, more, more came up in the song we were out of our seats and climbing, pushing hard, after the lyrics we sat and power climbed, even harder, then up a gear and climbing for the next set or “More, more, more”, the purpose being to get our gears the highest they had been that morning, I think I hit about 19 or 20 by the end of the track, an all-time high to be honest… But doing this alone was hard enough, but she wanted “More” she wanted us shouting, we sounded a little like a rugby team chanting, out to breath and climbing and yet shouting “More, more, more” to the song, strange as this may sound it is AMAZINGLY motivational and really does make you push more, more, more!

After the session I felt good, worn out but good, I was feeling a little more like my fitness levels have got back to where there were before the cold, although now I do seem to have an achy back, ho hum.

So I have another spin session booked for Sunday, and then next week we will be back onto a full week of training… and I hope to book in a re-program too!!

I am keeping this blog short and sweet as I don’t have a great deal more to say, other than onto the business bit as usual…

Did you know 33% of children with asthma (or their parents) say that asthma can result in being left out of sports activities at school, this happened with me and contributed to my overeating, that coupled with the steroids I was on to treat my asthma was likely the biggest cause of my massive weight, to find out more take a look at http://www.asthma.org.uk then pop along to my Virgin Money Giving page http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnClitherow and sponsor me to run the London Marathon.

Take Care,
Jay (Red John).

Anything is better than nothing!

I’ll keep this blog short as I can’t really stay awake long enough to write much… zzzZZZZZ Oh sorry dropped off there for a few minutes…
Urgh… I was a little late to bed last night, and boy did I suffer for it, I woke up this morning unable to move for the first 5 minutes or so, I had a headache, I was coughing like mad and just wanted to throw in the towel and go back to sleep, alas I did not… I got my kit on and dragged myself to the kitchen and began to make my porridge, I could tell today was going to be a tough one!

When I got into the spin class, it was actually really busy again and the regulars were all scattered or unable to even book as it was so busy, this “Spike” does tend to drop off again after the kids have been back a few weeks, it’s a bit like the January spike that most gyms experience I guess, ya get used to it after a while.

Anywho, back to the class, Well… What a struggle, firstly the atmosphere wasn’t quite right, they have removed two speakers as they are (I believe) putting new ones in, so it was rather quiet compared to normal and this just seemed to take the edge off, you don’t just want to hear the music in Spin, you need to feel it, immerse yourself in it, loose yourself… if you can’t you don’t perform as well, this aside I pushed on as best I could, but the cough and the lack of energy took it out of me… I wish this cold would go away now, I’m too well to be at home, and yet apparently too ill to work at my normal physical fitness level, I feel stuck in Limbo!

But I did push on and I did complete the session, but feeling a little disappointed, I wasn’t able to sustain the speed at some of the racing sections and I wasn’t able to power climb as normal and had to slow off beat, such a shame but I must remember I have been ill and my body still needs to recuperate, besides as I have always said… Anything is better than nothing!

So far today I have had porridge and at lunch will be salad again (there is still loads to use up) and I got some sausages out the freezer so I am thinking sausages and veg tonight :) and of course there will be the usual morning snack of mixed nuts and fruit and either apples or another pot of nuts in the afternoon!

Now for the business bit, I am training to run the London Marathon for Asthma UK, the work they do to help people who suffer with asthma and to prevent deaths from asthma is immense, but they can’t do it without our support, Did you know that 61% of people with asthma say that their asthma stops them from getting a good night's sleep, could you live your life without a proper night’s sleep?! I know I couldn’t and when my asthma flares up, I can’t…

To find out more about AsthmaUK and what they get up to visit http://www.asthma.org.uk and once you have decided it’s time to part with some reddies pop along to my Virgin Money Giving Page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnClitherow and sponsor me to run the whole 26 miles of the Virgin London Marathon, why not sponsor me £1 a mile?!

See you all soon,
Jay (Red John).

Is a mile, jus a mile?

So I have had a week off the training with what felt like a terminal illness… Okay so that’s a slight exaggeration but let’s just say it was a bout of Man flu that saw me sitting at home for the first three days of the week feeling sorry for myself and watching DVD’s and things that had been Sky+’d this to an extent was actually quite nice, I enjoyed the break and the quiet and the cats seemed to enjoy my company to, cats being cats, this was only because it meant they were allowed in the lounge during the day to sleep on the sofa or lay across my warm legs without a care in the world, what a life… although I soon tired of the running nose, tickly couch and looking like Rudolph.
What’s worse with this cold Monday morning saw me unable to even talk, I could croak by the evening after having my magic potion, let me explain… you see as coincidence would have it, I had left over chicken, bones, and veg that I had boiled up at the weekend… I waste nothing you see and I hoped I would make something with the stock, I started to feel ill on the Sunday, and when I woke up Monday morning feeling rather like the Grim Reaper sitting on a radiator, I decided I would make it into a Soup. After a return to bed and some recuperation (About 6 hours sleep, until the phone rang) I woke up still feeling dead and unable to speak but able to stand and stem the running of my nose just long enough to blend up all bits (minus the bones) and make the most amazing Chicken and Vegetable soup AKA Magic Potion, I had at least one bowl of this for the next 4 days, not only was it tasty but is the PERFECT thing for a cold… Fulla goodness!

My week followed this pattern all the way through really, I wasn’t well and seemed to get worse for a couple of days, Thursday I thought I was well enough to go back to work, although thought the gym would just be a STUPID idea, well it seemed work was to, I sat at my desk feeling rather sick all day but I did manage to sit it out and come back the following day.

Anyway enough of the dramatics in relation to the Man Flu, that is gone and my Chicken Soup cured all, well not totally all, believe it or not I was still feeling ill on and off over the weekend, colds don’t normally linger with me, but this one is a hanger on!

I have also decided that I am going to use this blog as my ‘food diary’ I need to be putting all this stuff down somewhere so I figure here is the place… Let’s start with yesterday as I can remember what I had, the Morning saw me munching peanut butter on toast while poking a cat with my foot, Then it was off to Mafia’s in Clacton for lunch, I had grilled goats cheese on a bed of salad, followed by chicken in a mustard sauce… wonderful, then came the evening and whilst watching X-Factor I had a rather large piece of something referred to as “Death By Chocolate” I am not sure this really counts as one of my five a-day but it was nice!

Back to training then… I was up at 6:00am this morning, I felt it was a little bit of a trade-off to my normal 5:30, I would get an extra half hour in bed and so long as I got to the gym for what I wanted to do by 7, I would be fine… So there I was in a rather cooler than usual kitchen stirring my pan of porridge and supping my coffee looking forward to my first session back at the gym, I had already decided I was going to ease back into the training as opposed to just hit it hard and kill myself, so todays chosen activity was to swim a mile… with as many tumble turns as I could stack up!!

I arrived at the pool pretty much bang on 7, so in I got and began my session… It became apparent after the first tumble turn that due to how lose my shorts were (even though I had tightened them as much as the string would allow) I would be doing less tumble turns than anticipated, otherwise I would be giving my fellow swimmers a little more to see than they might like…however…as I swam it seemed that pushing off anyhow at any speed short of slow would cause this issue… unless I dived as I did it, so tumble turns with a slight dive and a more gentle push off was the order of the day, still I managed my mile a whole 64 lengths and in just over 40 minutes, not to bad I thought, but it got me to thinking is every mile just the same… if it took me 40 minutes to run a mile I would be completing the Marathon in 17 Hours, as opposed to the 4 I would like to achieve, but then I settled into the steam room thinking I am sure running 1 mile burns allot less calories and requires allot less effort than swimming a mile, I hope so anyway.

What’s next? Well I am just munching through my mid-morning snack of mixed nuts and fruit, and at lunch time I will be having an organic mixed salad… maybe with fish fingers, I’ll have a fruity snak this afternoon and dinner will be more mixed salad (it needs using up) with a slice of quiche, and tomorrow I’m booked onto a Spin session, and if I have my dates right we will now be on a new program so I should expect to be exhausted, But I will let you know!

Time for my sledgehammer like gentle reminder, aside from the fact that I want to get fit, lose weight and look like an Adonis, there is another important reason I am doing this, I am running the London Marathon next year to raise money for Asthma UK, who work tirelessly to help save and improve the lives of asthma suffers everywhere… Did you know:

There were over 79,794 emergency hospital admissions for asthma in the UK in 2008-09. Of these, 30,740 were children aged 14 years or under.

An estimated 75% of hospital admissions for asthma are avoidable with help from Asthma UK

To see exactly what Asthma UK get up to and how they help asthma sufferers pop along to their website http://www.asthma.org.ukonce you have then decided to hand over your hard earned cash pop along to my Virgin Money Giving website http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnClitherowand donate as much as you can, I have £150 in to my £1,700 target, so get ya wallets out!

Love, peace, and happiness…
Jay (Red John).